


When I Was Alive

by solarcy



Category: EXO
Genre: Age Swap, Angels, Chaptered, ChenYeol, Demons, EXO - Freeform, M/M, angels and demons!au, innacurate descriptions of heaven and angels etc, not obvious age swap but its still there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 05:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11571462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarcy/pseuds/solarcy
Summary: "It seems to me, Guardian Chanyeol, that you are trying to cover Angel Jongdae's betrayal and not your own."Chenyeol angels and demons!au.





	1. Heaven

Kim Jongdae is confused. Very _very_ confused. It's when his friend Chanyeol returns from another mission as a Guardian that things start to get strange. He touches down in their neighbourhood after weeks of being gone guiding his humans and doesn't look at Jongdae. Not even once. Jongdae watches as Chanyeol's wide white wings fold back into place between his shoulder blades and contemplates following his friend back to his home but pushes the thought from his head. It would be greedy of him.  
  
Except, three days later Chanyeol still is not speaking to him, and Jongdae is worried. Perhaps the Archangels managed to convince Chanyeol that he, as part of the only team of angels that get to leave Heaven without explicit permission from God himself, is too important to talk to and be seen hanging around with a simple helper like himself. It hasn't been long since Jongdae arrived in Heaven and even less time since he was given his wings. Jongdae thinks that if the Archangels really did convince Chanyeol to stop speaking to him then they probably used the time that Jongdae tried to fly a few days after he got his wings and crashed into the world tree. Nobody lets him forget it, and he's sure some of the higher angels who resent him for getting his wings so quickly would use it against him, no doubt.  
  
Once Jongdae's finished his work for the day, taking a mental note that again, Chanyeol did not turn up to their meeting place. It's been 10 days. He's getting angry now, and instead of walking to his own home like he usually would he walks the opposite way to Chanyeol's, and the shutters are still pulled firmly over every window and the screen door which is open all year round is closed. It's a good thing Jongdae knows where Chanyeol hides his spare key. Jongdae brushes the dirt from his hands as he holds the key in is clutches. The screen door is open, and just to make sure Chanyeol is actually home he raps on the wooden door. No answer, but he hears somebody shuffling around inside. Chanyeol isn't as discreet as he likes to think he is. With that, Jongdae takes it as an OK to unlock the door and does so, completely unprepared for what he sees.  
  
He sees Chanyeol in a grubby grey shirt and grey sweatpants sitting on his couch with hair like a tornado. Chanyeol's head snaps up and he flounders."What're you doing here? How'd you get in? Did I forget to lock the door again?" Chanyeol stands and starts to pace around the livingroom for a moment before he pauses, like he's realised who it is that's actually in his home, "Jongdae? No, no, nope. You need to leave immediately. Now."  
And, if Jongdae was angry before, he's livid now, "Why should I leave, Yeol, you came back and didn't even say hello, it's been 10 days, I get the fact that you need to decompress after a long mission like that one but, really?" Jongdae taps his foot impatiently, his arms crossed and his wings flapping angrily, "Well? Care to explain yourself?"  
  
Chanyeol starts to pace frantically again, and for a moment Jongdae's anger is clouded over, Chanyeol looks like he's going crazy, "Can't I do it later, I need to think it through and... and... I might get in trouble for what I tell you," Chanyeol says after he stops pacing.  
  
"You've had 10 days to think it over, and you know I won't tell anybody. I'm your best friend, I won't rat you out," Jongdae's anger is completely replaced by worry, now, and he hopes Chanyeol will tell him what's been worrying him.  
  
"Well, you know I was back on earth for a while, yes? Well, one of the people I was guiding was talking to someone about... something. It made me think, and I keep going back to it. I don't know really what it was exactly but I have an idea and it's wrong. Really, really wrong in the eyes of the Archangels and God," Chanyeol scuffs his foot off the cream carpet and refuses to meet Jongdae's eyes. "They were talking about doing things with other boys, and, back when I was alive people used to get punished for this, but it looks like most people are okay with it now, but I'm still so confused because I... think that maybe I... if I was still alive... I might want to do that too."  
  
"That's okay," is Jongdae's reply before he really thinks about what his friend has just told him, "I think it's normal. People were just coming to terms with it before I ended up here, so I think that it's normal." Chanyeol visibly sags in relief but tenses up again in seconds. His face is stony, and Jongdae feels a presence behind him.  
  
"No, no, it's not okay. I think you know that don't you, Guardian Chanyeol? You know I'll have to tell the Archangels about this, right? Can't have one of their precious Guardians thinking that type of thoughts, can they?" A smug sounding voice states. Jongdae whips around, "And you, well, you, Angel Jongdae, you were trying to corrupt Chanyeol further, weren't you? Yes, yes, the Archangels will have to know about this too." Henry, the Angel that everyone hates and nobody knows _why_ or how he got wings walks off without anything else. Chanyeol looks panic stricken.  
  
"Henry, wait, _please!_ " Chanyeol vaults over the sofa and goes to chase after Henry but Jongdae stops him. "No, no, I have to get him, he can't say anything, I'll get banished, no no," Chanyeol struggles against Jongdae.  
  
"You know you can't stop him without getting in more trouble, Yeol."  
  
"I have to try, I can't let us both get banished," Chanyeol goes lax, probably realising he's going to fight a battle he's already lost, "Jongdae there's something else I didn't tell you," Chanyeol takes a deep breath, "I started having strange thoughts about what those boys were talking about. Thoughts about doing those things with _you_ ," For a moment Jongdae is shellshocked.  
  
"Oh.....kay. I think its okay, I'm not sure." Jongdae has let go of Chanyeol now, who looks equally as shellshocked at Jongdae's reply, "I suppose we will wait until the Archangels get here."  
  
"I'll tell them Henry was lying about what you said. I'll tell them you told me I was wrong, that I shouldn't have thought about it, and that when Henry came in you were on your way to tell them about me yourself."  
  
"Don't you dare, Park Chanyeol, _don't you dare_."  
  
"If I don't you'll get cast out just like I'm going to be, I can't let that happen."  
  
"If you lie about it, I'll tell them. I'll tell them everything I said," Jongdae threatens. Chanyeol looks like he's going to cry, but he doesn't. Instead, he storms out of his home and leaves Jongdae there, "Chanyeol, _wait!_ " Jongdae runs as fast as he can after him, but Chanyeol's flying and Jongdae doesn't want to break any of his neighbour's windows if he tries to follow suit (or himself). He's huffing like he ran a marathon when he reaches the temple where the Archangels reside. Chanyeol's not outside, but the massive doors are open so it's not hard to guess where he is.  
  
"Yes, I was walking past on my way to work, sir, and there they were! Guardian Chanyeol admitted to wanting to lay with another man, and Angel Jongdae seemed to encourage it! I personally think they're disgracing God's name, sir, and yours," _Henry._ Jongdae's anger had returned again, the ugly beast of a thing rearing its head as fights a battle in his head as to whether or not he should attempt to seriously injure Henry or not, "I don't even think I should try and repeat it, sir, I fear it would taint this holy place," The Archangel Henry is addressing tilts it's holy head, eying Chanyeol and Jongdae who are standing behind Henry.  
  
"Angel, Guardian, what do you have to defend yourselves?" the Archangel's voice is deep and Jongdae swears he can feel it rattling in his rib cage, "This is a serious accusation that has been made against you both."  
  
"He's lying about what Jongdae said. Before he started to spy on our conversation Jongdae was telling me how wrong I was to be having such thoughts, and he was just on his way to you to tell you everything." Chanyeol says, voice steady even though he's lying straight through his teeth. Jongdae hopes the Archangel can tell Chanyeol is lying, he doesn't want his friend to take all the blame here.  
  
"I don't believe you, Guardian. Angel Henry, I need to know what was said, if not, I'll have to dismiss this accusation." Jongdae can't even really see the Archangel's face through the ethereal glow surrounding it, but he knows the angel would be frowning in distaste, it really doesn't do to be a Guardian Angel and wish to lay with other men. The last time that happened, the Guardian was never seen again, apparently. It was before Jongdae's time in Heaven but Chanyeol told him about it once, and it still sends shivers up his spine. Jongdae clenches his fists tightly as Henry repeats their conversation, emphasising the fact that Jongdae was not, in fact, planning to tell the Archangel about Chanyeol's discrepancies, "It seems to me, Guardian Chanyeol, that you are trying to cover Angel Jongdae's betrayal and not your own. Why?"  
  
"I wasn't, sir, Jongdae didn't say any of this. I take full blame, and I accept any punishment you wish to give me, sir." Jongdae's heart stops beating (again), and he goes to stop Chanyeol from getting any closer to the Archangel, but he is cast backwards and lands on his backside at the foot of a statue of God. "Stop, don't hurt Jongdae! Please, he isn't the wrong-doer here," Chanyeol has dropped to his knees in front of the Archangel's seat. Again, the Archangel tilts its head and still, Jongdae knows the expression on it's face is distaste, even if he can't see it.  
  
"Angel Jongdae, what do you have to say for yourself? I seem to be getting two different stories, and while I wish to believe the one that Guardian Chanyeol is telling me, I cannot. What were you really saying to him?" Chanyeol sends him a pleading look, Henry sends him a smirk. Jongdae wishes with his entire being that he could wipe that smirk off Henry's face but instead, he steels himself and stumbles towards the Archangel, his legs still unsteady from hitting the statue so hard. As he drops back to his haunches the Archangel's strangely tinkling laugh rings throughout the temple, "I know who I believe, just as I know more than one of the three of you are and are going to lie to me. All the same, I must hear all the sides of the story. Jongdae, begin," again, the Archangel tilts its head. Jongdae can't tell which one it is (there are seven) because he knows it's holding an illusion to make itself more threatening, as if to coerce them into telling the truth.  
  
Jongdae tells his story, notes that Henry exaggerated most of what was said but also states that the Archangel was right, and Chanyeol was trying to protect him. He hears the tinkling laugh ring out again and the angel scoffs, "selfless as a Guardian should be," the Archangel shrinks to a size that could almost be called normal but the glow stays, emanating from everywhere around the Angel, blocking its face. Jongdae hears a choked off sob from his left. It's Chanyeol. Jongdae wants to reach out, tell his friend that everything will be okay, but he knows it won't. The Angel circles the three of them menacingly, "I assume all three of you know that my decision has already been made. I, however, cannot carry it out until my comrades arrive. You will wait here until they do, I trust you all know that your punishment will be worse if you move or run," The Archangel sweeps from the room and Chanyeol breaks down. Jongdae wants to scream. He wants to scream at Henry, he wants to scream at Chanyeol, at himself. He should have been more _careful_. Everyone, even Chanyeol -- the most oblivious Angel Jongdae knows-- knows that Henry dislikes Chanyeol because he beat Henry out for the position in the team of Guardian Angels. Henry had been going for it for decades and Chanyeol had gotten it within a decade of being in Heaven, Jongdae has to admit - if he was Henry he'd resent Chanyeol too, but not enough to want him cast out.  
  
"Why didn't you let me protect you Jongdae?" Chanyeol's voice is shaking just as much as his body is, and Jongdae knows he's crying, but Jongdae doesn't regret telling the truth. If Chanyeol's plan to protect him had worked it would have been on his conscience forever and Jongdae would never forgive himself, "It's my job to protect you, Jongdae! _Why didn't you let me protect you?_ "  
  
"It's not your job to protect me. We were both involved, I won't let you take all of the blame."  
  
"Oh, how sweet. The two almost-boyfriends protecting each other until almost certain death. I'm positive the town will love this love story!" Henry's nasally voice rings out from behind Chanyeol. Jongdae still wishes he could punch him. "Of course, I'll probably have to keep it to myself for a little while, but just you wait, you two! You'll be the talk of the town in a few months! Even if neither of you is here to see it," Henry laughs, and to Jongdae's ears, it sounds grotesque. How did this demon of a man even get into Heaven in the first place?  
  
"Henry shut up, or I--" Chanyeol begins to speak but the seven Archangels sweep into the room. They are all shrouded in a misty glow, and so Jongdae still can't see their faces. After being cut off, Chanyeol bows his head back down, shrinking into himself. In his peripheral vision, Jongdae can see Henry doing the same.  
  
"Angels," The largest of the Archangels starts to speak, his voice is not unlike the voice of the Archangel Jongdae was speaking to before but somehow it's so much deeper. With the first Archangel, Jongdae could feel its voice rattling in his ribs, but with this one Jongdae can feel it in his very core, the deep timbre of the Angel's voice sinks in and spreads an uncomfortable chill throughout his body and suddenly Jongdae, like Chanyeol and Henry, is trembling. Jongdae knows the Archangel is still speaking but he can't hear it, the only thing he can hear is Chanyeol's wheezing next to him. He knows it would be unwise to move and comfort his friend because then the Archangel would take advantage of his moment of weakness, "Our decision has been made, and I'm sure you can all guess what has been agreed. We, the Archangels, decree that Guardian Chanyeol shall be banished on the 14th day of the month, and Angel Jongdae shall be remanded in prison until further notice."  
  
The last thing Jongdae hears before he's dragged out is Chanyeol's anguished scream.


	2. Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING** \---  
>  Theres slight mentions of death in this chapter! It's not detailed, but it's still there near the end of the chapter. Just in case anyone doesn't like to read things like that.
> 
> This has mistakes in it that i'll fix ASAP!! Sorry!
> 
>  **25/Aug/17** Missing things added in! If theres any more errors please let me know!

Jongdae knocks his head against the grey stone wall of his cell. He doesn't know how long it's been sine he was thrown in, being that there's only one window in his cell and he isn't tall enough to see through it, and the window faces the equally dark prison walls in the Temple. It might have been months, mere days, he doesn't know. He does know, though, that Chanyeol is gone. Dead or banished, he's unsure, but gone all the same. He continues to knock his head on the cold walls in the hope that he's hving a stupidly vivid dream and this will wake him up. It doesn't.

"Angel, rise," A stern looking guard opens the heavy steel door into his little cell. Jongdae drags himself to his feet, not bothering to make himself the slightest bit presentable. His wings are droopy and dirty, his clothes torn, his face cut, "Your trial is near. The Archangels have requested that you make yourself look better. I suggest you do so immediately."

"How long's it been?"

That information is unnecessary," The guard kicks a tray with a meagre serving of food, a set of loose cotton trousers and a white t-shirt and a pail filled with water with a flannel floating in it into the cell, "Hurry." Jongdae decides that, today, he will listen. He has cuts on his face for a reason, that being that he was being his usual snarky self and the guards had enough. He uses the water to clean his face and changes his clothes. He'll have to see if the guard comes back and ask for some help with his wings. He feels hungry enough to eat an entire herd of cattle, but he doesn't want to be greedy and ask for more food, so he settles with what he's given and sits back against his blanket.

"Angel, I thought I told you to clean yourself up. Hurry and finish," The guard steps back into the cell with a thunderous look on his face.

"Can't do my wings by myself."

"I will get somebody to help you," The guard sighs and turns on his heel. A minute later he comes back in with another Angel in tow, "Soojung, please help Angel Jongdae with cleaning his wings," Soojung nods stiffly, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere other than down here in the prison. That look, Jongdae understands.

"S'okay, They're not that bad if you can just get the back--"

"Is this cell even big enough for you to completely stretch them?" Soojung's face changes into one of sympathy as if she knows who he is, even if he's never seen her in his time in Heaven, "Because, Chanyeol specifically requested you get put in one of the bigger cells."

"Why on earth would he do that? He got banished? The only thing he'd care about in the moment would be to not make a bigger fool of himself." Jongdae's heart aches, even in the moments that his friend lost everything, he still was trying to take care of Jongdae.

"He cares about you, Jongdae. I know we don't know each other, and i'm pretty new here, but when I was alive, it was okay to be like you two. If it's any consolation, you did nothing wrong in my eyes," Soojung drops to her knees next to Jongdae and gently takes hold of his left wing. It hurts. It must have been a lot longer than Jongdae originally thought since he had moved his wings at all, "Does it hurt?"

"A bit, yes, but its okay. Thanks for the help, Soojung," Jongdae winces when Soojung moves the flannel over a sensitive patch on his wing, "Are the feathers falling out?"

"No, but it looks like they might start to if they don't let you stretch your wings out soon."

  
"That won't be a problem soon enough, I suppose," Jongdae's voice takes a bitter tone.

"I suppose not, but it's still unfair that they completely discarded the wishes of Guardian Chanyeol, even if he has been banished," Soojung takes hold of Jongdae's right wing now, and stretches it as far as she can without Jongdae wincing. It's not far. The flannel is gentler now than it was when she was working on cleaning his left wing, "All done. They're not as grand as they should be, Jongdae, but its the best I can do without hurting you."

"Its okay, thank you Soojung." Jongdae drags himself back up again and tries to help the girl with the pail of water and the empty tray but is refused. The heavy door re-opens again.

  
"Come, Angels, Jongdae's trial is now."

___________________

"Angel Jongdae, you stand before the Archangels on trial for aiding disgraced Guardian Angel Park Chanyeol in his crimes. Do you agree?"

"Yes."

"And, do you wish to defend yourself in any way? Anything you say could be used against you when we come to our decision."

"No. I stand by my actions. Nothing I did was wrong." Murmurs spread throughout the crowd of Angels watching his trial, "And nothing Chanyeol did or thought was wrong either."

"Well if you have nothing to say, we assume you know your punishment, and the fate of Chanyeol."

"Yes, I do. Get on with it," Jongdae probably shouldn't have sniped at the Archangels like he did, but he hated them. He could see their ethereal faces change from calm expressions to rage-filled ones in seconds. He was satisfied. The Archangel sitting in the middle of them gets up from its chair and stands over Jongdae.

"As you wish." 

___________________

Pain. Unimaginable, unbearable pain. Jongdae blacked out almost immediately after one of the Archangels sliced his wings off at the stalk. He doesn't feel himself plummeting to Earth, but he feels himself land. He feels every bone in his body bend, but not break. While he's no longer an Angel, and does not have any wings, he's still got the rest of the properties one of God's Angels have. He feels the blood soaking the back of his clean shirt and groans. If any humans come across him how will he explain?

As he drags himself from the ground he hears a few branches snap. His head finally catches up and he realises he's in a forest... somewhere. He hopes it's in Korea, because then he can at least communicate. He drags his body behind a fallen tree trunk, and hopes he was quick enough to avoid discovery. He wasn't.

"Who is that?" Jongdae feels panic freeze his blood. He hopes (but does not pray, he thinks that if God heard him he would be most unhappy) that whoever was coming in his direction decides to turn the other way, "Is it one of the Fallen Ones? If it is, it's okay. I'm here to lend a hand," even at this, Jongdae stays put, though some of the panic thaws out of his system, "I know you're there. I won't force you, but it's safe to come out."

Jongdae finds it in him to speak, and lets out a gravelly noise to let the person know he's there. He uses his arms to drag himself up from the forest floor and asks "Where am I?"

"You'll find that if you look close enough, you recognise this place. Any Angel who is cast out always lands near their final resting place, be that a hospital or home or... here. Did you come here to die, Kim Jongdae? Or was it unplanned?" Jongdae doesn't recognise this man. His voice is smooth, calming. However, his calm voice jars Jongdae when he realises that it said his name. Jongdae, while the fall from Heaven was far, doesn't think he forgot anything and he definitely doesn't remember telling the strange man his name, "You wonder why I know your name? Well, Mr Kim, I know a lot about you. And if you choose to come with me, you'll find out why."

"And if I don't?" 

"Then I leave you alone, and you'll never find out just where your friend Chanyeol is, and if I am to confide in you? If that wound on your back gets any more exposure to the air down here it'll get infected just like a regular human wound does. You'll die." The man reaches down to help Jongdae up, "I think that you'd like to come with me, but first, just because I'm a little bit selfish, I'd like to know why you landed here." And so, Jongdae starts to speak, after deciding the man was trustworthy enough. If he was lying and told anyone about anything Jongdae was saying nobody would believe him anyway. What does he have to lose?

Jongdae tells the unnamed man everything: He tells him that all those years ago he had stumbled into this very forest after his brother. The last place he remembered his brother telling him he'd been going, which was 3 days prior. Jongdae had walked for hours on end, screaming "Jongdeok, answer me! I swear, Deok, mum and dad are going to kill you!" but their mother and father wouldn't kill Jongdeok, or Jongdae. He doesn't know who did it, but, he remembers walking across a campsite with a burnt out fire pit and a jacket which looked suspiciously like his brothers but it was not his brother that was in said jacket, and the jacket was no longer the familiar beige, instead stained and muddy.

"Your parents won't kill you, but I will." 


	3. Hell part i.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated birthday, sunshine Kim Jongdae! 
> 
>  
> 
> _(I was supposed to upload this on his birthday, but I've had to split it into two parts and it wasn't done on time, but better late than never!)_
> 
> For the following chapter: There's inaccurate descriptions of hell here. I'm not religious, and I don't know if the Bible contains an accurate description of how Lucifer lives, or how hell looks, so I just wrote it how I imagined it to be. If any of you have any actual details on any of this, let me know!

"It's a very nice jacket your brother has here. Expensive, was it?" The voice is lilting, teasing even, "I'd love to keep it. It's a shame he was so messy."  
  
"I don't-- what?" Jongdae is backing up slowly, but the man is following him. Large hands are running over the jacket Jongdeok loved so much and it makes Jongdae's insides boil (though not enough to stop backing away, the man has a look in his eyes that makes Jongdae want to curl up and scream,) "Why did you hurt Jongdeok?"  
  
"Little Jongdae, your mum and dad didn't let you know? It was always Jongdeok's destiny to die by my hands, they knew that, but they didn't know it was yours too," The man lunges.  
                                                                                                           -----------------------

"Hello? Jongdae? God, please don't tell me you're another one that'll go catatonic when you're reliving your death story," A large hand is being waved in front of Jongdae's face over and over, "Dude, please come back to yourself, if I lose another one Yunho'll kill me... again"

"Um, what-- I, yeah, I'm here," Jongdae shakes the hazy feeling out of his head, but the crazed look in his brother's murderer's eyes sticks, "Who's Yunho? Who're you, I just remembered I don't actually know your name." 

"Oh.. um... uh... _Jesus Christ_ , _you did it again Changmi--_ " 

"Changmin? That's your name? I recognise it." 

"No, no um, uh, it's not--"  
  
"Yes, it is. I'm not dim." Jongdae's bored now, just wants to get to wherever Changmin said he'd take him and see Chanyeol again, "I still don't know who this Yunho is, though."  
  
"Yes, yeah okay, bloody hell mister pushy. Much pushier than I rem-- nothing."  
  
"Whatever, where are you taking me?"  
  
"Here. Jump," Changmin points a little to the left at a little well in the middle of the clearing. Jongdae's heart drops out of his ass, he swears, because he just fell from the heavens, he's not falling down a well, "I know what you're thinking, but Chanyeol did it, many other of the Fallen Ones did it before the both of you. I believe in you, and if you make it, I promise we'll take care of you down there."  
  
"Um... I might not be an Angel anymore, but i'm not going down there to become a demon. I don't have that much hatred in me, yet."  
  
"No, no, we're not going to do anything like that. When Yunh-Lucifer fell, he made a promise to himself that he'd house and take care of any of the future Fallen Ones that were cast out for the same thing he was," Changmin said as he straightened Jongdae's stained shirt. Now that Changmin had made another mistake in telling him Yunho's name he knew why he recognized them. Yunho and Changmin were two former Angels who were cast out in almost the exact same way he and Chanyeol were. In fact, he now realised their stories were so similar it unnerved him, "You know what they say, though, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  
  
"The Archangels didn't learn that it was okay when Yunho was cast out, and it happened again, except this time it was with Chanyeol and I, yes?"  
  
"Yes," Changmin helped Jongdae onto the rim of the stone well and then got up onto it himself, "Ready?"  
  
"Not really, no."  
  
"It's okay. Just count to three and push yourself off. It'll be over before you know it, and i'll be there to catch you at the bottom. Chanyeol is expecting you," With that, Jongdae jumped.  
   
                                                                                                           -----------------------  
  
The only thing Jongdae can possibly compare to falling into hell is the feeling of every organ if his body trying to force its way out of his nostrils. Not very nice, then.  
  
Changmin wasn't lying when he said he'd be waiting to catch him at the bottom, although Jongdae suspects he wasn't expecting a slight frame like his own to come in like a led cannonball and force him waist deep into the packed dirt.  
  
"Ow."  
  
"Yeah, you're telling me. If I didn't break when I fell the first time, I sure just did."  
  
"You're not broken, but my legs might be," Changmin's voice is choked and he lets out a forced puff of air as he lets Jongdae roll out of his arms and onto the hard soil, "Little help?"  
  
"O-oh, yeah, give me a minute to let my organs re-organize themselves," Changmin gives him a strange look at this. Jongdae musters his remaining strength and helps Changmin to drag himself out of the hole, "Sorry about that. Sometimes people don't realise I'm not as tiny as I look."  
  
"You tell me that after... whatever just happened there?"  
  
"I already apologized."  
  
"I know. We're getting ready to go and see the big guy now. Most important thing to remember is don't be scared. Nothing will touch you unless I let them, but the imps and the alps can smell fear."  
  
"Oh dear. You shouldn't have said that because now I'm petrified," Jongdae tries his best to ignore the shivers running down his spine and the sudden urge to flee using wings he no longer has.  
  
"It's okay. They all listen to Yunho, and by extension, they all obey me," Changmin rubs a soothing hand down Jongdae's back, tactfully avoiding the stumps where his wings used to be. Changmin remembers the agony of losing his wings, just as he remembers the pain of regaining them.  
  
"So you're like the 'big guy's' little guy?" Jongdae lets out a snicker but shuts up as soon as he sees the indignant look Changmin shoots him.  
  
"I'll have you know, I'm taller than the 'big guy' so kindly, shut your face."  
  
"Touchy."  
  
"Listen--"  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Lord, I hate you, but yes, we're almost there," Changmin lurches forward to grab Jongdae's shirt before he starts to sprint away, " _Careful!_ Stay near me at all times. You don't want to get lost down here by yourself."  
  
"That was ominous. Stop."  
  
"Why have you just become so blunt, God, you stop," Changmin whines. Jongdae starts to cackle and writhes as Changmin tries to smother him with his overly large hands. They continue to walk through what seems to be an endless plain of nothing but dirt, and Jongdae is bored out of his mind, "Hey, not much longer now, okay? You can't see Chanyeol straight away, though. He's in... the middle of something."  
  
"What? The only reason I jumped down that literal hell hole was to see him and now I can't?" Jongdae's voice raises steadily higher until, again, Changmin attempts to smother him.  
  
"Shh! You'll attract every daemon in a mile radius, idiot! Yunho is fixing Chanyeol's wings, but it hurts like nothing else, and he's almost blinded by pain. If you try and interact with him now, he might lash out and hurt you," Changmin says, voice taking a softer tone.  
  
"Fixing his wings? When they cast him out they let him keep them?"  
  
"No, they didn't. Yunho figured out how to... regrow a Fallen One's wings, but they don't look the same," Changmin scratches the back of his neck as if he didn't want to tell Jongdae what the difference would be. At Jongdae's 'get on with it' motions he said, "They don't grow back white."  
  
"So, black, I'm guessing? How very hellish."  
  
"Your best friend has agreed to essentially become one of Lucifer's cronies and your reply is 'How very hell-ish'? I can't decide if I hate you or love you," Changmin is dumbfounded.  
  
"Honestly, not much is going to shock me anymore," Jongdae shrugged, struggling to keep up with Changmin's long strides, "I just fell from Heaven and then voluntarily jumped into hell, what's next, come at me."  
  
"I'm good. We're here, though." Jongdae's head snaps up fast and when he looks up he's expecting a massive gothic looking palace or something, but all he sees is more dirt.  
  
"I... are you on drugs or something? I see dirt. Wheres ol' Lucifer?"  
  
"I've decided I hate you. You can't see anything because Yunho doesn't want you to see anything. He'll sense your presence in a minute, and then you'll see everything."  
  
"So have I been walking through dirt or... a demon city, or something, because I'm confused."  
  
"You walked through dirt for a bit and when you started to shout we were walking through a village full of incubus, succubus, and poltergeists."  
  
"A village full of sex demons? What else is there, Holy--" Jongdae spins around in a circle, still looking at a never-ending horizon of dirt, until he's not anymore, and there's a poltergeist literally breathing on his face. Promptly, Jongdae screeches. Changmin struggles to hold Jongdae's batting arms by his sides but succeeds.  
  
"Hello! My name's Baekhyun, what type of demon are you?"  
  
"CHANGMIN GET IT AWAY FROM ME HOLY SHI--"  
  
"Does he not like me, Changmin? Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"No, you didn't Baek, but he's not a demon. Remember Chanyeol who I brought in not that long ago? This is the Jongdae he was talking about."  
  
"Oh, he's pretty. Didn't you tell him I'd be escorting him past the wards? Is that why he's so scared?"  
  
"Hello, I'm right here, and I'm not pretty. I'm handsome. Manly, if you will," Jongdae said, crossing his arms and cocking his hips, "And no, Changmin did not tell me you'd be escorting me past the... wards. Whatever wards are," Jongdae adds a punch to Changmin's bicep for good measure.  
  
"Oh, well, I'm Baekhyun, and I'm a poltergeist. Don't worry, I'm not a very good poltergeist. S'why I'm here instead of up there," Baekhyun points in the direction of what Jongdae can only assume is earth, and remembers Chanyeol once telling him poltergeists were responsible for the loud noises and strange happenings in his home when he was a child, and that he probably had one connected to him. Baekhyun doesn't look like he'd be a good poltergeist, so Jongdae deems him trustworthy enough, "I think it's time to go on up, yes?"  
  
Changmin nods his head once before taking Jongdae by the arm and dragging him through some invisible door and then a large house loomed in front of him, "Even the demons in the village don't know this is here. To them, we just walked into a building nobody actually ever goes into. Don't tell anyone this is here. Ever. If every demon in all the circles knew this is where the big guy lives there'd be a queue years long."  
  
"Uh.. will do."  
  
"Okay, Jongdae, I suppose Changminnie told you that you can't see Chanyeol - very handsome guy, good choice, by the way - Yes?"  
  
"I- he did, and I know. Thank you," Jongdae's heart still hurts because he only came down here to see Chanyeol, to know that he's okay, and he can't do either of those things, "How long will... this take? I really want to see him," Baekhyun's hand is surprisingly soft when it settles on his bare shoulder through a tear in his shirt.  
  
"I'm not sure how long it takes. There hasn't been a Fallen One since about twenty years before I got here and I've been here for about thirty. I look pretty damned great for over a thirty years old, if I do say so myself," Baekhyun fluffs his short black hair. It's clear to Jongdae that he's trying to calm him down, make him less nervous, and it's working. At the soft chuckle Jongdae lets out, Baekhyun gives an incredibly wide beam. So angelic, ironically, "Now, we're going to go up these stairs and then we'll be through the wards. Yunho will see you, and then I suppose if you want it, he'll start the process of fixing your wings too," Baekhyun shrugs.  
  
"I want it, but I want to see Chanyeol first."  
  
"Okay. I said before, I don't know how long this takes, but he's been like that for a few days now, so it's got to be almost done," Baekhyun opens a rotting wooden door and behind it is.. not a room that should fit inside a little house.

It's _massive_ , there's a huge expanse of green grass, and too many types of flowers and fruit trees to count. The house is a large brownstone with many windows in the front. Jongdae wouldn't even think he was still in hell if the sky wasn't a weird mix of thundery grey and muddy red.  
  
"So _this_ is where the Devil lives?"  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I was trying to fit everything into one chapter so that this fic could fit nicely into Heaven, Earth and Hell, but it just wasn't possible without making this chapter annoyingly long. 
> 
> I hope you can forgive me, and I hope you can wait a little bit longer for the second part of this chapter where we'll finally find out what happened to Jongdae and Jongdeok!


	4. Hell part ii.

"You're late."   
  
"Sorry, big guy, I was waiting on Jongdae here to actually jump," Changmin says, frazzled, ignoring Jongdae's affronted look, "He took longer than Chanyeol did, that's for bloody well sure."  
  
"You forced him? Changmin, you better not-" Baekhyun is serious for the first time since Jongdae met him (and screamed in his face, but Jongdae will deny that for the rest of his existence.) Now, Jongdae sees the person behind the deep voice proclaiming Changmin's tardiness. It's Yunho. He's... not what Jongdae expected. Jongdae expected a man with horns growing out of his face, with red skin and a gluttonous smirk on his face. The only thing Jongdae has to liken Yunho to his previous impression of Lucifer is the gluttonous smirk. Yunho has an angular face and high nose bridge and if he wasn't legitimately the Devil, Jongdae would go as far as to say he'd been sculpted by the angels. Although, maybe he had been.  
  
"I didn't, I didn't, what must you people think of me?" Changmin huffs, crossing his arms like a child who didn't get the toy he wanted at the store.  
  
"Child."  
  
"Ass."  
  
"I can't believe you just called the Devil the epitome of childish insults, I'm in shock," Jongdae thinks he needs to sit down. Changmin did... that.  
  
"You've got no idea, man, if I didn't know any better I'd say they fight like they're married," Baekhyun shakes his head, exasperated.  
  
"Shut up, _Peeves_."  
  
"I don't know who Peeves is!"  
  
"Learn," Yunho says, patting Baekhyun's shoulder, "Now. We'll have to get you settled in, Jongdae."  
  
"Okay. What's going to happen?" Jongdae follows Changmin, Yunho and Baekhyun up the dirt path to the brownstone. It looks even bigger up close, the windows reflecting the muddy sky and suddenly Jongdae remembers he's in Hell. It's a strange, feeling, this pressure in his chest, like its hollow but at the same time, incredibly full. Jongdae finds he has absolutely no idea what to do with himself, "Do I need to go through some demonic sacrificial ritual or something?"  
  
"What, no, you idiot! We're going to help you!"  
  
"So what does that involve, does it perhaps involve pain management? This whole wingless thing hurts, you know."  
  
"I know," Yunho says, fixing a soft look at Jongdae. He waves his hand and suddenly Jongdae's pain is gone, a soothing feeling spreading from between his shoulder blades and chasing the pain away, "Better?"  
  
"Better, thank you," He's confused, still. Lucifer is supposed to be a universal ass, but here he is, taking Jongdae's pain away, it's unsettling. Jongdae just hopes the trio of demons in front of him don't have an ulterior motive.  
  
"Now. I really need to know the truth about something Jongdae. I know it's difficult for you to talk about it, but I really need to know what you remember about the day you and your brother died."

  
\-------------------------

  
The man lunges and Jongdae tries to scramble away, panicked, distraught. The man is cackling, chasing after Jongdae bloody hands outstretched, dripping onto Jongdeok's favourite jacket. His mind is flurry of ' _no no no no, run run run_ ' and 'turn around and try and defend yourself, the psycho is unarmed'  
  
Jongdae runs. This man may be unarmed, but Jongdeok's blood is on his hands, so he runs and he runs, trying to reach the town, trying to reach help. Jongdae runs until he's caught. And, just before he dies, Jongdae sees his face.  
  
It's Changmin.

  
\---------------------

  
"You, it was you! Why did you-- oh my, did you bring me down here to kill me for real this time? Why did you kill me and my brother, why did you lie?"  
  
"I lied so you wouldn't panic and run. I lied so that I could get you down here to help you. I lied so that I can fix what I did wrong. I'm sorry."  
  
"You can't fix this, _I'm dead, Jongdeok's dead and he didn't even make it to Heaven, you monster!_ "  
  
"Don't you want to know why you're dead?" Changmin looks desperate, "I'm Abbadon. It's in my nature to inflict pain, I attacked you, and I attacked your brother because neither of you accepted God as your saviour. You got into Heaven because in your final moments, you did."  
  
"And you're not killing every demon in this place now because they've all accepted God?" Jongdae is incredulous.  
  
"No, Yunho relieved me of my nature. He saved the lives of many more people. I'm sorry you and your brother ended up dead, but I was just doing what I thought I was born to do," Changmin drops his head low, "He might be Lucifer, but he's still a good man."  
  
"I.. need to get out of here. Take me somewhere, anywhere," He pleads with Baekhyun. Jongdae feels like his head is going to explode.  
"I can take you to your room, you can't leave yet Jongdae."  
  
"Bring him to mine. It's been a while, hm?" The voice is achingly familiar, it sends his spiral of anger out, and brings in calm. It's Chanyeol's voice. Jongdae has never moved so fast in neither his human or angelic life. In mere seconds he's across the entrance hall and in his friend's arms, "I missed you too, Dae."  
  
"You're really here, you're here," Jongdae snuggles his head into his friend's broad chest.  
  
"I'm here. You're here too."  
  
For the first time since he and Chanyeol were thrown in prison, Jongdae is at peace. And he hopes Chanyeol is too.

  
\-----------------------

  
Now, years later, Jongdae and Chanyeol try to forget. Changmin is forgiven, but Jongdae skirts around him when possible. Jongdae, as much as Changmin, hopes he can get over this fear in time. Yunho started the process of regrowing his wings, Jongdae having decided to go through with the process seeing how ethereal Chanyeol looked with his. He only hopes he can look a fraction of the grandeur Chanyeol does with his new wings.  
  
"You look... gorgeous," Chanyeol says, his face awestruck when Jongdae climbs out of the basement cell he was put into during the agonising process of regrowing his wings.  
  
"Shut up, idiot," Jongdae shies away from Chanyeol's gaze. Stretching his new wings.  
  
"You know.. even with demon wings, when I was alive, people would have worshipped you like an Angel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I'm sorry for making you all wait so long, I hope I delivered what you all expected.
> 
> See you in my next fic!

**Author's Note:**

> [anna](https://kittyhunnie.tumblr.com) made me do it. 
> 
> please excuse any mistakes this is unbeta'd.


End file.
